Written Answers

Tuesday 3 October 2000

Scottish Executive

Dental Care

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS orthodontic practices there are in each health board area.

Susan Deacon: Many General Dental Practitioners undertake some form of orthodontic treatment. The information contained in the table below provides at 31 July 2000 the number of practices in each health board area which provide, under NHS arrangements, only orthodontic treatment.

  


Health Board


Number of practices 
limited to Orthodontics




Argyll & Clyde


6




Ayrshire & Arran


3




Borders


1




Dumfries & Galloway


0




Fife


7




Forth Valley


2




Grampian


4




Greater Glasgow


11




Highland


0




Lanarkshire


5




Lothian


15




Orkney


0




Shetland


0




Tayside


4




Western Isles


0




Scotland


58

Dental Care

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost of orthodontic treatment per person is in each health board area when the treatment is provided by (a) the NHS and (b) private practices.

Susan Deacon: The average cost of orthodontic treatment per patient when provided under NHS arrangements, by health board area for the year ending 31 March 2000, is shown in the table below. The costs may appear low as orthodontic treatment includes orthodontic examinations which a large number of patients receive without any subsequent treatment. In addition, orthodontic treatment may take a number of years to complete and dentists do not receive full payment for the treatment undertaken until it is complete, although they may receive interim payments.

  Information on the cost of orthodontic treatment when provided by private practices is not available.

  


Health Board


Average cost of Orthodontic 
treatment per patient
£




Argyll & Clyde


54




Ayrshire & Arran


98




Borders


39




Dumfries & Galloway


43




Fife


70




Forth Valley


77




Grampian


72




Greater Glasgow


94




Highland


40




Lanarkshire


99




Lothian


87




Orkney


126




Shetland


0




Tayside


62




Western Isles


45




Scotland


80




  Notes:

  1. The table relates to orthodontic treatment provided under general dental services only.

  2. Orthodontic treatment includes where an orthodontic examination only is undertaken.

  3. Payment for orthodontic treatment can be claimed by any general dental practitioner within general dental services and is not limited to practices which carry out orthodontic work only.

Enterprise

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct research into the implications for the Peterhead economy of the rundown of activity at RAF Buchan by 2004.

Henry McLeish: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-1962.

Enterprise

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it will commit to the setting up of a task force to assist the Peterhead economy given the rundown of activity at RAF Buchan, the potential closure of Peterhead Prison and the number of business closures and job losses which have taken place over the last year.

Henry McLeish: Support for those in areas affected by economic and labour market change is provided in accordance with the principles set out in our PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) document launched in March.

European Funding

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its proposals to the European Commission in relation to the Less Favoured Area Support scheme take account of the issue of remoteness and, if not, whether it will amend the proposals accordingly.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive’s LFA scheme is based on the classification of individual farms. That classification takes account of soil fertility, climate, topography, altitude and location. My priority is to secure early European Commission agreement to the scheme. But as the scheme’s safety net declines, my intention is to refine the approach when various factors, including remoteness, can be reassessed.

European Funding

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make less favoured area payments to farmers in the spring of 2001 should there be any delay in gaining approval of its proposals by the European Commission.

Ross Finnie: Very high priority is being given to resolving the outstanding issues affecting Scotland’s Less Favoured Areas scheme. Our aim is to make payments under the scheme on the usual timescale next spring.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to detail the total expenditure in the Scottish budget, and previous block equivalents, as a percentage of Scottish non-oil Gross Domestic Product in each year since 1975 for which figures are available.

Mr Jack McConnell: The table below sets out the available information for the total Scottish budget in cash as a proportion of Scottish non-oil GDP at market prices.

  





1993-94 outturn


1994-95 outturn


1995-96 outturn


1996-97 outturn


1997-98 outturn




Total Scottish budget (£ billion)


13.7


14.2


14.6


14.8


14.8




Scottish GDP (market prices) excluding 
North Sea (£ billion)


54.5


58.5


59.9


63.7


66.8




Budget as a % of GDP


25.1


24.3


24.3


23.2


22.1

Fuel

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many allegations of intimidation against fuel tanker drivers were made during the period 7 September 2000 to 18 September 2000, how many of these have been fully investigated and whether any persons have been charged with criminal offences as a result of such allegations.

Mr Jim Wallace: I understand that no formal complaints were made to the police regarding intimidation against fuel tanker drivers in Scotland during the period 7 to 18 September 2000.

Genetically Modified Crops

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reconsider putting a GM crop trial site at Rosskill by Munlochy in the light of representations from the local community and Highland Council.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive, as a competent authority, is required to operate within governing European and UK legislation on the deliberate release of genetically modified crops. Under European Directive 90/220/EEC, consent can only be refused where there is scientific evidence that a release will pose a risk to human health or environmental safety. Consent was granted for this site to participate in the trial programme following safety assurances from the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) that there are no unacceptable risks to public health and environmental safety were very low. If any evidence emerges to bring this decision into question we will review it, but at present there are no grounds on which to withdraw consent.

Higher Still

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of the Higher Still Development Programme has been to date and from what source or sources the programme has been funded.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Over £60 million will be spent over the life of the programme. This comprises funding to local authority schools and further education colleges and grant to the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Higher Still Development Unit.

Local Government Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5176 by Mr Jack McConnell on 31 May 2000, how it reconciles the estimate of £1,550 million to be raised in non-domestic rates in 2000-01, which is approximately £50 million more than 1999-2000, with the answer to question S1W-5177 on 31 May 2000 which states that non-domestic rate income is forecast to increase by up to £190 million in 2000-01.

Mr Jack McConnell: My reply to question S1W-5177 concerned the increase in the amount of non-domestic rates income distributed to councils as part of their aggregate external finance for 2000-01, a composite calculation including surpluses and deficits from previous years not included in previous NDRI distributions. The £1,550 million referred to in my reply to question S1W-5176 is the amount that it is estimated that councils will collect in NDRI during 2000-01 only.

  The amount of NDRI to be distributed is currently £190 million higher than originally forecast, mainly due to updated information supplied by councils on previous years. Consequently, the amount of revenue support grant (RSG) required to make up the total aggregate external finance is £190 million lower than forecast. Such savings in RSG will remain in the Departmental Expenditure Limit as a provision to cover requirements for additional RSG arising from the impact of NDR appeals, and for other adjustments. The position will be reviewed when the likely scale of appeals can be estimated more accurately.

Nutrition

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to promote healthy diets amongst young people in response to the increase in the daily consumption of chips, sweets and fatty foods for young children reported in the Chief Medical Officer’s Report 1999 Health in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive’s drive to improve the diet of young people is being taken forward in line with the Scottish Diet Action Plan, "Eating for Health". A wide variety of action is underway at both national and local level, ranging from healthy eating campaigns targeting the young by the Health Education Board for Scotland, health boards and schools, through to community food initiatives, School Nutrition Action Groups, cooking skills courses and healthy eating vending machines within schools. Encouragingly, and also noted in the Chief Medical Officer’s Report, there have been significant increases in young people’s consumption of fruit, vegetables, salads, low fat milk, pasta and rice.

  The reported increase in consumption of chips, sweets and fatty foods is, however, clearly a matter for concern. The Executive is, therefore, continuing to give priority to the encouragement of healthier food choices by young people. New initiatives are being introduced, such as extension of breakfast clubs and fruit and salad bars in schools and provision of fruit for infants – all supported by the recently announced £26 million Health Improvement Fund. The forthcoming appointment of a national diet action co-ordinator whose responsibilities will include working closely with those interests exercising a major influence on young people’s diet, will also make an important contribution.

Police

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was to Central Scotland Police of policing the protest at the Grangemouth Oil Refinery between 11 and 14 September 2000.

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers were removed from normal operational duties to police the recent protest at Grangemouth oil refinery and how many police man-hours were involved in this exercise over the period 7 September 2000 to 18 September 2000.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information is not yet available. Central Scotland Police are currently collecting data on the cost of policing the protest at Grangemouth oil refinery. Figures should be available by the end of October.

Renewable Energy

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the names and addresses of those people living within five kilometres of a wind farm who were referred to in its Press Release SE2329/2000 as responding favourably to wind farms, following the recent survey into public attitude towards such farms.

Sarah Boyack: As is normal practice in government social research, respondents who participated in this survey did so on the basis that their individual responses would be confidential. As such, disclosure of their names and addresses would be a breach of that commitment and be contrary to the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information.

Rural Affairs

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the running costs of its Rural Affairs Department, or its predecessor departments, were in each of the last ten years and how many staff the department employed in each of these years.

Mr Jack McConnell: The figures requested are shown in the following table. Figures are only shown from 1996 onwards; earlier figures could only be provided at disproportionate costs.

  Since 1996, the Rural Affairs Department has experienced significant structural and organisational changes. This makes like for like comparisons difficult.

  





Number of permanent 
staff as at October


Running costs – financial 
year (£000)




1996-97


1289.0 (a)


£23,889 (DAS=£38,509)




1997-98


1255.3 (a)


£24,758 (DAS=£35,440)




1998-99


907.9


£25,811




1999-2000


937.9


£26,899




  (a) Until April 1998, the Rural Affairs Department also included the Directorate of Administrative Services (DAS). These staff are included in the staffing counts for the first two years. The running costs for DAS are also given for these years.

Scottish Parliamentary Ombudsman

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a consultation paper on arrangements for establishing a permanent Scottish Parliamentary Ombudsman as required by section 91 of the Scotland Act 1998.

Mr Jack McConnell: I have today published and laid before the Parliament a consultation paper, Modernising the Complaints System . It is available on the Scottish Executive’s website. The paper seeks views on a range of issues to be addressed in framing the Act of the Scottish Parliament which will put in place permanent arrangements for investigating complaints of maladministration. In line with the Executive’s commitment to open and participative policy development, this is an initial consultation which is intended to stimulate public debate on the issues. We will develop detailed proposals based on the responses to this consultation and these will then follow the consultation arrangements required for legislation in the Scottish Parliament.

  Ministers are committed to the promotion of modern government and high quality public services which are open, efficient, accountable and responsive to public need. Accordingly, I am taking the opportunity provided by this consultation to consider the arrangements for the other public sector ombudsmen in Scotland, i.e. the Health Service and Local Government Ombudsmen.

  I want to hear views from as wide a range of interests as possible so the paper is being given a very wide distribution. I will be writing to each MSP individually, enclosing a copy of the paper and encouraging them to let me have their views on this important subject. Copies of the paper are available from today in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how often Ministers have met representatives of the Scottish Qualifications Authority since 1 June 1999, on what dates these meetings took place and what issues were discussed.

Henry McLeish: I met with the Chairman and Chief Executive of the SQA on 6 March 2000 when a range of issues were discussed, including approval of SQA’s Corporate Plan, financial and IT matters, qualifications developments, international activities and vacancies in board appointments.

  Mr Sam Galbraith, Minister for Children and Education, met SQA representatives on 5 August 1999 when visiting the SQA offices to see the dispatch of the 1999 examination results. On that occasion he received a general briefing on SQA activities. Mr Galbraith also met the Chairman and Chief Executive of SQA informally when he addressed the organisation’s annual conference on 19 May 2000.

  Mr Galbraith met the Chairman and Chief Executive of SQA on 25 July 2000 to discuss examination issues. Mr Galbraith subsequently met the SQA Chairman and senior staff on 13 August 2000 to discuss SQA’s plans to resolve problems surrounding this year’s examination results and, on the same day, met with SQA and COSHEP representatives to discuss how to protect the interests of higher education applicants.

  Mr Galbraith also met with the SQA Chairman and interim Chief Executive informally when visiting the SQA’s Dalkeith offices on 14 August 2000 to meet operational staff dealing with examination results problems.

  In addition to the above meetings, SQA representatives will have attended a number of ministerial meetings and engagements along with representatives of other bodies.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Qualifications Authority has had any difficulties with the production of this year’s results or with the delivery of certificates in respect of Higher National Certificate courses and National Certificate courses and modules.

Henry McLeish: The priority for the Scottish Qualifications Authority has been to resolve the problems which arose this summer with national awards taken in schools and colleges. This has inevitably led to some delay in the processing of certificates for Higher National and National Certificate Group Awards and units. It is anticipated that the normal monthly cycle of certification for these awards will be in operation by the end of October.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any difficulties with results or certificate delivery have been encountered by candidates in this year’s Scottish Qualifications Authority exams who were taking a combination of Higher Still, National Certificate modules and/or Higher National units.

Henry McLeish: I am not aware of any candidates so affected. The Scottish Qualifications Authority’s focus on resolving the problems experienced with results of national awards taken in schools and colleges has inevitably led to some delay in the processing of certificates for Higher National and National Certificate Group Awards and units. It is anticipated that the normal monthly cycle of certification for these awards will be in operation by the end of October.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9394 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 14 September 2000, whether probationary teachers were ever used as markers previously and, if so, when and how many.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The recruitment of markers is an operational issue for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. However, I understand from SQA that they are unaware of any probationary teacher having been used as a marker prior to the 2000 exam diet.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual running costs are of the Scottish Qualifications Authority’s Accreditation Unit and from what source or sources the unit is funded.

Henry McLeish: The running costs of the Scottish Qualifications Authority’s Accreditation Unit amount to approximately £1.2 million annually. This is funded through grant-in-aid from the Scottish Executive.

Seal Population

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) about the impact of the current seal population upon the fishing industry and whether it has any plans to discuss this issue with the SFF.

Mr John Home Robertson: The Chief Executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation wrote to me in July, proposing the establishment of a Seal Commission. We subsequently discussed the matter at a meeting on 8 August. I have since written to the federation reminding them that the Natural Environment Research Council’s Special Committee on Seals already exists to provide independent scientific advice to Scottish Ministers on the management of the seal population under the terms of section 13 of the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 and that the same Act provides a framework for controlling seal numbers. No further discussions are planned.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Deaf People

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what consideration has been given to the provision of sign language interpreters for deaf people during meetings of the Parliament.

Sir David Steel: A sign language interpretation service is currently provided on request for meetings of the Parliament and for committee meetings. Requests can be made through the Parliament’s Visitor Centre and the service is provided under a contract arrangement. To date, the service has been requested on only one occasion for a debate in the Chamber (Members’ Business Debate on British Sign Language on 16 February 2000). It has been requested on two occasions for committee meetings.